In Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, Maria Guadalupe, a 33-year-old woman with alleged ties to cartels and engaged in witchcraft, was killed as she tried to kidnap a toddler to offer him as a sacrifice to the saint Santa Muerte.
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| Pic by JANET JARMAN/REDUX. |
She attempted to kidnap an 18-month-old child from her nephew's family, reportedly intending to sacrifice the child to Santa Muerte, a saint worshipped by Mexican cartels for protection.
Before the incident, Maria Guadalupe had told her nephew, Carlos Gabriel, that she believed his son was a reincarnation of a deceased family member. On the night of the incident, she broke into their home while Carlos and his wife were asleep with their son.
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| Saint Santa Muerte |
Maria Guadalupe forcefully tried to take the child, but Carlos fought back using a baseball bat and fatally injured her which led to her death. Two unidentified men believed to be cartel members, who were also involved in the attempted kidnapping, fled when neighbors alerted the police.
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Reports indicate Maria Guadalupe was known in Juarez for practicing satanic rituals and had connections to the street gang Los Mexicles, associated with the Sinaloa drug cartel. She allegedly sold drugs and performed rituals and sacrifices to Santa Muerte on behalf of the gang.
Santa Muerte, often portrayed as a cloaked skeleton holding a globe and sickle, is worshipped by cartel members for protection and success in criminal activities. This worship has drawn controversy from the Catholic Church.
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| Pic by JANET JARMAN/REDUX. |
In recent years, authorities in both Mexico and the United States have found temples dedicated to Santa Muerte in stash houses used for storing drugs and people awaiting transport across the border. These shrines' presence highlights this belief system's influence within cartel culture.
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Following the incident, Carlos turned himself into authorities and was released without charges after 48 hours, as investigators concluded he acted in self-defense to protect his family from Maria Guadalupe's violent attempt.